A True Luminary

The Jewish people have lost a great leader and I have lost a mentor.

On Thursday morning Rabbi Noach Weinberg, the founder and dean of Aish HaTorah, passed away. The Jewish people have lost a true leader and visionary. One cannot even begin to describe the impact and influence that Rav Noach zt"l has had. I just wanted to share with you some of my personal feelings, experiences and wisdom that I learnt from my Rebbe.

I went to Aish HaTorah in July, 1979. At the time Aish was not the worldwide organization that it would become and the Ba'al Teshuva movement was in its infancy. Aish was a yeshiva for those wishing to learn more about traditional Torah Judaism, who came from backgrounds of little or no Jewish affiliation. Such institutions were just beginning to sprout up in Jerusalem at the time. There were 75 students then, a very eclectic bunch -- most were recruited to Aish by Rabbi Meir Shuster who would approach backpackers on their way to or back from India or the Greek Islands. I was a bit of an oddity -- I actually came to Aish on my own when I finished high school.

Rabbi Weinberg used to teach two classes a day back then. The 48 Ways to Wisdom, which became his hallmark class, and Proofs of God and Torah. Additionally he would give a Thursday night talk or shmuz. It was during those many classes that he impressed upon me and my fellow students that life has a system and we are not left to try to figure out things on our own through the much more costly and painful means of trial and error. There was Torat Chaim -- a Torah which is instructions for living and, like anything, the more you understood the manual the more you benefited from the product -- the product being life itself. The Torah was a living and breathing gift from the Almighty that applied to everyday life and not some ancient out-dated manuscript that had nothing to say in our day and age.

Rav Noach was able to relate our Torah to today and had a knack for taking great concepts and putting them into slogans or succinct pithy sayings. He taught that God loves us and created us to get the most pleasure out of life; that He does not need anything from us -- it is all for our own good and that there are five levels of that pleasure. He taught that a happy wife is a happy life, that the definition of love is the feeling of pleasure in seeing the virtue of another. He warned that if you don't know what you are willing to die for, then you don't know what you are living for, and that one must constantly strive to know the truth - "Clarity or Death!" I can go on and on but you can personally experience much of his wisdom at www.aish.com.

When he peered over his glasses at you, you felt that he was looking into your very soul.

Despite his greatness, Rabbi Weinberg was one of the most down-to-earth individuals I have ever met. This is not to say he did not have very lofty goals and indeed his whole life was dedicated to creating a Jewish renaissance -- but he never carried himself with an air that he was better than anybody else. He was a true anav -- a humble man who recognized and lived with the fact that every person is created Betzelem Elokim -- in the image of God and therefore deserved tremendous respect and had the utmost potential to accomplish great things. He had a great sense of happiness and joy, yet was never content with whatever he accomplished and always pushed himself and his students to become greater. On the one hand he would have a charming warm twinkle in his eye, but when he peered over his glasses at you, you felt that he was looking into your very soul and being.

As I have written once before, Rav Noach's goals were nothing short of an all-out renaissance for the Jewish people. He had always spoken of the responsibility of creating a revolution to bring every Jew back to an appreciation and realization of the greatness of our people, history and Torah. Aware that he could not do this single-handedly, he constantly attempted to empower every Jew he met or taught to do their part for Am Yisrael. Time and again I have heard him say that you do not have to be a rabbi to teach. Every person, no matter what their personal level of knowledge and commitment to Judaism, has an obligation to share what they know with whomever they know. He recognized that movements are never created by a few folks who feel they can do it all, but by the efforts of certain key people who can create a critical mass that can in turn affect so many others. He would never say this about himself, but Rav Noach was such a man.

The Jewish people have lost a true luminary and leader and I have lost a mentor. But we are all comforted by the fact that Rabbi Weinberg's tens of thousands of students, teachings, and his tremendous impact on so many lives will live on forever.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet -- Blessed is the True Judge and may Rav Noach's Neshama be bound in the bonds of eternal life.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale is Director of Aish South Florida. Tzvi grew up in Toronto, Canada, home of the perennially losing Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team. He attended Aish Jerusalem in the summer of 1979, determined to gain access to great Jewish works and thinkers such as the Talmud and Maimonides. Little did he know that it would take far longer than two months; he ended up staying in Israel for nine years. He received rabbinic ordination in 1985 and met his wife Karen, who grew up in London and is the great-granddaughter of the former chief rabbi of Meshed, Iran. As can only happen in Israel, Canadian-Polish-Jewish became intertwined with British-Israeli-Persian. Rabbi Nightingale has been involved in Aish South Florida since 1989 and has been Executive Director since 1993. During that time he has met over 20,000 people who have attended Aish programs, but he does not remember all of their names. In the meantime, watching his beloved Maple Leafs not win a championship since 1967 has taught Rabbi Nightingale the importance of patiently waiting for the arrival of Moshiach.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 12

(12)
Clive,
February 20, 2009 2:36 PM

clivesahero@googlemail.com

First let me state that I am not Jewish and second that through this mans work I have been profoundly changed, I have now read the Torah once and have almost finished listening to the 48 ways mp3's, again a truly enlightening experience, as well as visiting the aish site regularly. So you see this great man has had a major impact not only on Jewish people's lives but many others as well (I surely am not the only one) and as a result has definitely furthered the cause of Israel and the Jewish people immensely.

(11)
Kalman,
February 18, 2009 7:45 PM

Thank you, Reb Tzvi

Thank you for this beautiful, heartfelt article. The torch has passed to a new generation -- you are an exemplary student of Reb Noah and you will continue to light up the world with the Fire of Torah!

(10)
Daniel,
February 10, 2009 4:53 AM

I soon as I heard of the passing of Rav Noach, I thought of you. I knew how much he meant to you. We are all very saddened by this loss. I never had the Zechut of meeting him, but I didn’t have to, his legacy speaks volumes!
As the relationship between a Rebbi and a student resembles in many way that of a father and son, I will give you the blessing given to a mourning son, may Hashem comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Daniel

(9)
Dan,
February 10, 2009 4:52 AM

Dear Rabbi Nightingale,
I am so sorry to hear about Rabbi Weinberg.
My thoughts are with the Weinberg family and the Aish family.
I am sending my deepest sympathy and condolences.
Dan

(8)
Ellen,
February 10, 2009 4:52 AM

I just wanted to express my condolences.... May you be comforted....
Ellen

(7)
Morris,
February 10, 2009 4:51 AM

Rabbi Weinberg surely has made his mark in this world and may his memory live on forever.

(6)
Alison,
February 10, 2009 4:51 AM

Dear Rabbi,
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mentor, Rabbi Weinberg. I know he was not only a visionary in your eyes, but also in the eyes of Jews worldwide whose lives have been touched as a result of his vision. I have witnessed this evolution firsthand. My mother came "from nothing" as she says, alluding to her ignorance of Judaism. Through the gift of Aish, and Rabbi Weinberg's efforts, my mother's life has transformed.
I am sure you feel a sense of loss. Simultaneously, I am sure you find solace in the knowing that your wisdom is a direct reflection of the love and knowledge he shared with you, and so many.
Sincerely,
Alison

(5)
Henry,
February 10, 2009 4:51 AM

He is missed very much.

(4)
George,
February 10, 2009 4:50 AM

Rabbi,
Thank you for sharing Rabbi Noach's remarkable story with us. And thank you for your own personal commitment and devotion to the mission of Aish ha-Torah.

(3)
joel,
February 10, 2009 4:49 AM

Beautiful words. the Rav certainly was an entrepreneur in the Jewish Orthodox space, bringing jews back to their religion. . A builder of movements and of a beautiful building in Jerusalem-opposite the wall. The Aish Rabbis I have met are all wonderful people and are true representatives of what he wanted to accomplish. Please G-d may you all go from strength to strength.
Joel Hoppenstein

(2)
Jacob,
February 10, 2009 4:45 AM

Dear Rabbi Packouz and Rabbi Nightingale,
I just read about the passing of Rabbi Weinberg. Having learned some of his Torah through the two of you, I wanted to express my wishes for strength and comfort to you and your colleagues. I know what a giant he was in so many ways and how deeply he affected the lives of countless Jews throughout the world. May his memory forever be as a blessing.
Warmest regards,

(1)
sam,
February 9, 2009 3:40 PM

i was going to call you …

i was going to call you today, but i didn't.
every time i speak to a chaver like you the pain and tears are so overwhelming …
i'm crying as i'm writing this …
HaMakom y'nachem …